Minnesota's Getting Two Pro Volleyball Teams in 2027

Minnesota just became the center of professional women's volleyball, but not in a good way.

Last week, two different volleyball leagues announced they're both bringing teams to Minnesota in 2027. Same state, same sport, same year. And yes, it's as awkward as it sounds.

Craig Leipold owns the Minnesota Wild. His company just announced they're launching a Major League Volleyball team that'll play at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul starting in January 2027.

Here's the problem: another league called League One Volleyball announced their Minnesota team just five days earlier.

"I have to question whether it's appropriate to put two teams in one market like this," Leipold said at Tuesday's press conference.

His business partner Matt Mithune was even more blunt. "It's definitely not ideal to be going head to head in new markets."

But here we are.

Leipold's team has some serious backing. His minority investors include Tim Connelly from the Timberwolves, Matt Mithune who co-owns Minnesota United FC, and the founders of Anytime Fitness. They'll play 12 to 14 home games per season at Grand Casino Arena.

The other team? We barely know anything. League One Volleyball hasn't said who owns their Minnesota team, where they'll play, or even what they'll be called. They did partner with two local youth volleyball clubs, Minnesota One and Kokomo Volleyball.

Both teams will reveal their names, logos, and colors sometime in 2026.

Minnesota isn't alone in this mess. Right now, the U.S. has three professional women's volleyball leagues fighting for players, fans, and cities.

Two of those leagues, LOVB and MLV, already compete against each other in Atlanta and Omaha. In Omaha, the MLV team draws bigger crowds. In Atlanta, they're about even.

Scott Gorsline owns MLV's Grand Rapids team. His take? "Let the chips fall where they may."

Translation: may the best team win.

Even though having two teams is weird, both leagues picked Minnesota for good reasons.

The University of Minnesota volleyball team ranks fifth in the entire country for attendance. They regularly get crowds of 5,000 fans. Minnesota ranks fourth nationally for girls playing high school volleyball. State championship games sell out every year.

Minnesota has also produced Olympic volleyball players like Jordan Thompson from Edina and Tori Dixon from Burnsville.

"Interest in women's sports is at an all-time high," Leipold said. "This is not just a moment. This is a movement."

He pointed to the Minnesota Lynx, the Minnesota Frost hockey team, and Minnesota Aurora FC as proof that Minnesota supports women's pro sports.

LOVB's president Rosie Spaulding said pretty much the same thing. "Minnesota is one of the great homes of volleyball, with a passionate fan base and an incredible depth of talent across the state."

What makes this rivalry interesting is how differently these two leagues operate.

LOVB started in 2020 by building youth volleyball clubs all over the country. They now have about 77 club locations in 28 states with over 22,000 kids playing. The idea is simple: create young fans before you even have pro teams.

They've raised $100 million from investors including Billie Jean King, Kevin Durant, and Lindsey Vonn. ESPN will show 28 of their games, with 10 on actual TV (not just streaming).

MLV takes a different approach. They put teams in big cities, book premium arenas, and get rich owners involved. Their ownership group includes people who own NBA teams, have stakes in NFL teams, and run MLS franchises.

Both leagues pay players at least $60,000 per year and have Olympic medalists on their rosters.

Leipold says his group studied both leagues for 18 months before picking MLV. They chose MLV because that league lets teams sell their own sponsorships and tickets. More control, more money.

"When we were doing our diligence, we assumed that there would be one in this market," Leipold said.

Translation: we knew another team might come here, but we didn't think they'd announce it five days before us.

Both teams debut in January 2027. That's just over a year away.

Minnesota volleyball fans will get to watch pro volleyball at the highest level. Former Gophers like Sarah Wilhite-Parsons, who currently plays for Omaha's MLV team, are pumped about it.

"It's just surreal to be up here, hearing about a professional team coming to my hometown," she said Tuesday. "The future for volleyball is just so bright."

But the elephant in the room remains: can Minnesota support two professional volleyball teams?

Some markets have proven they can't. Others are still figuring it out. Atlanta and Omaha are the test cases, and the results are mixed.

The good news? Whoever wins this battle, Minnesota volleyball fans are the real winners. They'll have access to elite professional volleyball, something that hasn't existed here since the Minnesota Monarchs played in the 1980s.

The bad news? One of these teams might not survive. And that's going to be awkward for everyone involved.

Minnesota is getting two pro volleyball teams in 2027 because both leagues saw the same opportunity at the same time. The state loves volleyball, supports women's sports, and has the venues to host pro teams.

But "it's definitely not ideal" to have two leagues competing for the same fans in the same market at the same time.

Minnesota volleyball fans should enjoy it while it lasts. Because history suggests that in a few years, there might only be one team left standing.

You can put down a season ticket deposit for the MLV team now at MLVMinnesota.com. LOVB hasn't opened their ticket sales yet.

Let the games begin.